A Choice

'It is a total joke. Oh, wait.'

'I told you to stop calling me that. I hate it.'

'Then you should have just let that servant be!'

'Because I love you.'

'Should I, myself die too?'

'I have never...seen you cry.'

'I did say anything for you.'

The memorries came running back like a tsunami and with every piece that came together, Hector's eyes widened more. She cried the previous night too, but for some reason he couldn't remember what happened after that. He got drunk, said all those things and...

He put his hand into his hair, realization hitting him like a truck. He had gone out of his way last night.

Queen Elvira sat in the court, reading the petitions of the day. There were about twenty six of them, and about eighteen had to do with Hector. Some asked her to reconsider her choice of a husband, others talked aboit the death that had happened in the oalace on their wedding.

The rest that weren't about him were minor issues that had to do with state, and the conflicts between people.

She sighed and dropped the last scroll. "We should purify the water once more. Apparently, there is a small scale outbreak of water related diseases in the small towns on the west."

The prime minister stood and bowed. "Your highness. It will be done immediately."

"Also dispatch drugs and put a lower price of food into effect. That would help the sick ones."

"Yes, your highness."

Hector stopped at the door to the room, his heart hammering against his chest. What would the ministers think? Will there be a repeat of what had happened at the banquet?

"His majesty is entering the court." The doorman announced.

Queen Elvira lifted her eyes to the door, the very first time she had even looked up since the meeting started.

She swallowed, feeling as if she was meeting him again for the first time.

He took a step closer, and her egees widened a little with expectations. She was angry and hurt, but she was still in love.

He took another step, and another till he was in the court, and stood at the farthest end of the court.

He lifted her eyes to look for hers, the only familiar pair of eyes in the courtroom. Her veil was a little too thin for someone who had seen her so many times already, and his searching eyes met hers.

She held his gaze and urged him to come closer. He nodded, and cautiously made his way, one step at a time towards the vacabt seat next to her.

He heaved a sigh of relief when he finally got to it, then gave a small bow as he sat. The courtroom was silent for a long while, and Queen Elvira was the first to break the silence.

"I wonder just how much jewelry the royal safe has currently."

The prime minister's eyes widened. "Your highness..."

"Tell me."

"It has more than every noble in this kingdom combined has."

She nodded. "So it makes me wonder why exactly no one here thought to pay respects to the owner of all that wealth. Funny right, Prime Minister?"

He gulped and turned to Hector who was just as surprised. "Your highness, I...I apologize."

He walked from her side to Hector's and gave a deep bow.

"We apologize your highness."

The rest of the council members stood too and bowed behind the prime minister.

Queen Elvira turned to Hector. "Is that good enough?"

"Y..yes. Yes, your highness."

She nodded. "Dismiss them, then."

"How?" He asked. She cast an angry gaze at him, then turned away.

"You...you are dismissed." He said to them, trying hard to keep the nervousness out of his voice.

They returned to their seats, and Queen Elvira resumed preceeding the meeting again.

"I and my husband have decided that we will go to the West Palace for a month. The stress of the palace is taking a toll on my husband, and we would like to rest."

"Your highness," Lord Lucas said, standing. "You have only acknowledged the petitions about diseases and the cost of food. But there are other petitions and you have said nothing about them."

Queen Elvira nodded, then turned to the large fire encasing beside her.

"You mean these petitions?" She asked and lifted them up one by one and dropped them in the fire.

Lord Lucas said nothing as he wstched them blaze.

"I wonder exactly why...the people have a say in my marriage."

"It is because you are deciding their king, your highness." Lord Lucas was obviously angry, his fists already clenched.

She smiled. "And I have chosen well. If there are no other petitions, We will end today's session here."

She stood up and Hector immediately followed.

Hector sat on the bed, watching her silently. She was sitting on the dresser stool, her hand working diligently to comb her hair. She had said nothing to him ever since that morning, and it was already almost midday.

He bit down on his lips and adjusted his sitting position.

"Your highness?"

"Yes?" She answered, her eyes still fixed on the mirror.

"Last night...last night, I remember what happened. I mean...I apologize. I did not mean to say all of that."

She shrugged and said nothing.

It made him uncomfortable, the silence. He probaby had gotten so used to being chased, he did not know how to live with her silence.

"Allow me to comb your hair for you," He said and stood.

"It is already done." She said simply, then set the comb on the dresser.

"It is..done. Yes." He went back to the edge of the bed and sat, his hands clasped on his laps.

He watched as she stood and walked to the secret library, opened it, walked in and then closed it back.

He let out a small sigh. He wished he could even remember the rest, to know just how hard he had to apologize. Just the parts he could remember were already so disrespectful.

He walked to the door and knocked on it, but there was no answer. He knocked again, an this time he heard the shuffle of feet.

The door opened slowly, and Queen Elvira's stone cold face stared back at him.

"What do you want?"

"I want to apologize. I apologize for whatever happened last night. I did not mean to go out of line."

"Hector." She said.

"Yes, your highness?"

"I want you to make a choice right now."

"Yes?"

"I want you to choose...I or Lana."

"Your highness..."

"Choose. I want you to make your choice right now. I did not give you much of a choice before, and now I am giving you one."

"What happens if I choose her?" He asked, blinking rapidly.

"You can have her. You both will not be servants anymore. You can live wherever you want."

"And our marriage?"

She shrugged. "I will take care of it."

She watched him, her eyes cold, but her heart beating rapidly. She had put everything on the line to ask him and now she was not even sure she wanted to hear the answer. He already asked her what would happen If he chose Lana. Because they both knew Lana was his choice.

He shook his head. "You are angry with me because of last night, your highness. This is..."

"This is not anger. You said what you had to say. And I realized what I had to. So choose. Right now."

He opened his mouth, but no words came out of it. She stood there, her fists clenching and unclenching as she watched him go through his dilemma. She hated having to put him through it, but it was probably the best thing for both of them.

"I will..." His voice trailed off. "I will pretend you never gave me a choice."